Puzzle or toy.



E. J. SOHOWALTER.

PUZZLE 0R TOY.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 20, 1912.

Patented Sept. 30, 1913.

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EDWARD J. SCHOWALTER, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN;

PUZZLE on TOY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 20, 1912. Serial No. 732,570.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. S-oHowA'L- TER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Racine, in the county of Racine and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements-in Puzzles or Toys; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to puzzles or toys.

One object'of the invention is to provide a puzzle or toy comprising a fixed or station- 5 ary part of a figure or body and one or more loose or movable parts or members which are adapted to be interchanged and brought into proper position for engagement with the stationary or fixed part to complete the Another object is to provide a puzzle or toy of this character which will be simple and inexpensive in construction and which will provide an interesting and amusing pastime.

\Vith these and other objects in view, the

invention consists of certain novel features of construction, and the combination and,

arrangement of parts as will be more fully so described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a front view of the puzzle or toy showing one of the movable members thereof in full lines and in proper position with respect to the stationary part of the figure and in dotted lines illustrating other movable parts or members which are normally hidden from view and are adapted to be interchanged with the member shown in full lines; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a different member or movable part in engagement with the stationary part of the figure; Fig. 3 is a central vertical sectional view through the toy illustrating in dotted lines one means whereby the movable parts or members of the toy may be manipulated; Fig. 4 is arear view of one of the movable parts or members of e the toy; and Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view thereof. In the embodiment of the invention I provide a casing 1 which may be of any suitable construction and which in the present instance is shown as comprising a front plate 2 of glass or other transparent material to ther'ear side'of which is secured a narrow frame 3 to which is secured a rear or back piece 4: which may be constructed of any suitable material. The frame 3 forms the sides and ends of the casing, the top or front side of which is formed by the transparent'plate 2 while the rear side or back 1S formed by the piece 4. The front plate and back piece at are secured together and to the frame 3 by a binding strip 5 which is pasted or otherwise secured to the edges of the front plate and back piece as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

In the present form of the invention the front plate 2 has secured to the rear side of the upper and lower ends thereof obscuring pieces 6 of opaque or non-transparent material the purpose of which will be hereinafter described. On the inner side of the back piece 4 is printed, drawn or otherwise placed a portion of a figure, thelower portion of which is completed on the outer side of the lower obscuring piece 6 so that the figure when viewed from the front of the casing or through the plate 2 appears complete except the part which is left off from that portion of the figure contained on the back piece 4. In the present instance the figure depicted on the back piece 4 and on the obscuring piece 6 is a headless representation of Billiken ,the god ofthings that ought to be. On the back ground around. the figure on the back piece 4 and the piece 6 may be illustrated any suitable scenes or this back ground may be left blank.

Loosely arranged in the space between the front plate 2 and the back piece of the easing are any desired number of movable pieces 7 representing in various ways the part missing from the stationary figure depicted on the back piece 4 and the piece (3 and which are adapted to be brought into proper position on the stationary part of the figure. In the present instance the movable pieces or members 7 represent heads bearing characteristics of diflerent nationalities and which are adapted to be interchangeably brought in position on the body to produce Billikens of different nationalities as is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. The heads or movable members 7 may be brought into proper position by shaking or tapping upon the back of the casing or, as shown in the present instance, the heads or members 7 may be provided with metal strips 8 secured to the rear sides thereof by inserting the ends of the strips through slits 9 formed in the inner thick- PatentedSept.30,1913.

ness or layer of the material from which the pieces or heads 7 are formed, said heads being here shown and are preferably constructed are adapted to be manipulated ormoved about in the casing by means of a magnet 10 which may be applied to and moved around over the front or rear side of the casing thereby attracting the metal I pieces 8 which form the armatures of the magnet and which when thus attracted will move the heads or members'7 to whatever position the magnet is moved. The magnet 10is preferably inclosed and hidden from view in a suitable box or casing 11 as shown in dotted lines in Fi 3 of the drawings.

While I have herein shown and described the casing as being provided with obscuring pieces 6 secured to the inner side of the transparent front plate 2 for the purpose of hiding the movable members or heads of the figure when the latter are not in position on the stationary part of the figure and are not being moved to or from this position, it is obvious that the obscuring pieces 6 may be omitted and the entire front of the'casing left transparent. When the obscuring pieces 6 are onntted the entire stationary part of the figure with the exception of the movable parts may be depicted either on the back piece 4 or on the transparent front plate of 'the casing as will be readily understood.

From the foregoing description,- taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention as defined and claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A puzzle or toy of the class described.

. brought into position to complete the figure.

2 A puzzle or toy of the character descrlbed comprising a casing having a transparent front and a back piece, obscuring pieces arranged in the casing beneath the 3. A puzzle or toy of the character'described comprising a casing having a transparent front and a back piece, obscuring pieces arran ed in the casing beneath .the

transparent ront and spaced from the back piece, an unfinished figure depicted partially on said back piece and partially on one of said obscuring pieces, a plurality of inter-1 changeable pieces or members loosely 'ar-' ranged in the casing and representing" in different ways the unfinished part of the figure depicted on the back piece and obscuring pieces of the casing and adapted to be brought into osition to complete the figure, and means w ereby said movablepiecesor members may be manually actuated.

4. A puzzle or toy of the character described comprising a casing consisting of an open frame, a transparent front secured to one side of said frame, a back piece secured to the opposite 'side thereof, a binding strip secured around the edges of said frame,

front, and back piece, whereby these parts are bound together to form the casing, an

unfinished figure depicted on the back piece of the casing, and a plurality of interchangeable pieces or figures loosely arranged in the casing and adapted to be brought into position to complete the figure to represent different characters.

5. A puzzle or toy of the character described comprising a casing having a transparent front and a back piece, an unfinished figure depicted on said back piece, a plurality of movable and interchangeable pieces or members loosely arranged in said casing and adapted to be brought into position to com plete said unfinished figure, means whereby the movable pieces when not being manipulated or in operative position may be hidden from view, magnetic strips secured to said tract said pieces through the front or back piece of the casing whereby the pieces or members may be moved around in thecasing and brought into position for completing the figure depicted therein.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD J. SGHOWALTER.

Witnesses:

J osern C. PoKoRNY, JEROME A. Gnouux.

movable pieces, and a magnet adapted to .at-' 

